The Shop is located in Fronteras Rio Dulce and run by brothers Pat and Chris Wooley. Services include custom woodworking, fiberglass repair, all types of coatings from varnish to polyurethane paints, rigging services, distributors for Harken roller furling and Sailing services rigging. They can place orders with West Marine, Lewis, and others, can provide general shipwright services and have an inhouse surveyor. They have been established in
Guatemala since 1995 and are the oldest established boat repair facility on the Rio Dulce.

Guardinage

Dockage area for long term yacht storage. On-site 24/7 security. Cleaning and maintenance of yachts are included in the fee. Mechanical and electrical repair. Part of Seakist Services.

RAMmarina
says:

Feb 26, 2018 10:04 PM

Dear Rakna,
First of all, thank you for the endorsement of our fiberglass and painting job. For RAM Marina it was a pleasure to host you and your daughter for some weeks. I saw you working really hard by yourself trying to make the good Atlas ready for sailing again. I can totally understand all your frustration and unhappiness for having too much trouble with your engine.
Putting things in perspective however, you bought a boat for US$3000, that had been sitting on the hard unattended for several years. At the beginning you tried to fix the engine by yourself the same way you did all the rest of the work.
There was a point where you couldn't start the engine and asked for the mechanic's help. This happened during the busiest season of the year for us, nevertheless our mechanic helped you out. At that point he found that the fuel filter was broken, so we researched and found a used unit in good condition in a local workshop. Only after installation did he find problems with the corroded fuel lines, which he repaired. During testing we noticed a problem on the governor that you said you could fix yourself, up to this point all was ok!
When our mechanic starting the process of finalizing connections to start the engine he found a problem with a pump and here is where the problems started; Again, we found another used unit with the same workshop in town for $600. You indicated this was too expensive and out of your budget, so following your instructions I returned the part to the seller.
This is when you decided to do things on your own, which created a true conflict of interest, however, you were so concerned with getting the Best Price, you approached our worker with a side deal, bypassing the Marina and our protocol. Here is where RAM Marina's involvement ends!
You took upon your own responsibility to buy the piece direct from our employee for a reduced price (which we only found out about when you emailed us complaining about it). In accordance with RAM Marina's compliance you had Zero Respect for the Marina and was willing to place the employee in jeopardy of losing his job, however, that wasn't your concern, rather get the lowest price with total disregard for the personal income of RAM's employee. We demoted the employee and placed a one year freeze on his salary, but at less he retained his job!
In the same email you requested a special price to come back to RAM. You are always welcome, but please understand that you can't do business under the table and then complain that we don't warranty something we never charged you for!
The part in question do not show in any of our bills or work orders, therefore, how could you possibly want RAM Marina to warranty a product that was never purchased or sold from our business? In retrospect, when you left the Marina, the engine was running, allowing you to travel from Guatemala to Belize.
Again, we reiterate our desire of having the opportunity to serve you again any time you may need, but please let's be honest and in compliance with good business practices. This approach with eliminate any frustration you might be feeling. Take into consideration that RAM Marina as an excellent name and treats all our customers with respect, honesty and dignity. I truly believe if you would have made a better choice in your selection of purchasing, the outcome would have been 100% in your favor. However, by purchasing under the table you are jeopardizing not only the employee, but your integrity as a consumer.
Sincerely yours,
Karen de Lopez

barnarack
says:

Feb 19, 2018 12:06 AM

Few months back my boat was on dry standing at Ram marina. I had an engine problem. As I had no time I had to leave my boat there and trust them with the job. Unfortunately they messed up and I ended up in another service with a 2000usd bill. What made me upset is they charged me for parts that were never installed. Not talk about the service charge what I payed there and the job was not done. When I questioned them the answer was "you could leave so do not complain". They do amazing bodywork, but do not let them touch your engines!

Kgalassi
says:

Mar 31, 2017 05:30 PM

Looking at heading up the Rio for hurricane season.. going to arrive around the end of June.. question is, does this place fill up or will I be able to find a slip? First time heading to Central America. Thanks.

Sue Richards
says:

Apr 29, 2016 01:24 PM

Posted on behalf of SV Lucky Bitch:
I just want to recommend Ram Marina (Rio Dulce, Guatemala) as a great wharf for hauling out and working on the boat (yourself and together with very good technicians – Chilo, Denis, and good staff: Karen, Richard…) .
I was there for 4 months and had a great time in a nice atmosphere. After my 2 former hurricane shelters (Trinidad @ Peakes, and Spanish Water Curacao) I can enthusiastically say that it only gets better. Third time, good time.
So, if world sailors plan to go to Rio Dulce I can recommend Ram Marina! Say Hi to Karen and Richard, if you go there. Good luck and enjoy!
Sigrid

Sue Richards
says:

Nov 09, 2015 02:13 PM

Posted on behalf of Gail Johnson:
This evening I was looking in the want ads section of the www.riodulcechicme.com forum and noticed a want ad for a lancha and outboard motor because one had been stolen. The date of the original post was October 2, 2015. The lancha was recovered but not the outboard.

Sue Richards
says:

Sep 11, 2015 12:13 PM

Posted on behalf of Gail Johnson:
A dinghy and outboard was stolen from Captain John's Marina on August 13, 2015. A first hand write up can be viewed at the website www.riodulcechisme.com, select Rio Dulce Forum from the links on the left side of the page and then select the subject Rio Dulce Forum. There are several posts but one is about the stolen dinghy.

In addition, on the radio net this morning another dinghy and outboard theft was reported. The boat was anchored in Shell Bay which is the anchorage in front of Nana Juana and Ram Marinas.

I have been in Rio Dulce for the past year and I estimate this is the sixth dinghy and outboard theft reported during that time.

Thanks "Iguana Dance" for this recommendation. RAM Marina are indeed listed in our berthing section, however the extra information you have provided will be useful for others considering their options.

iguanadance
says:

Oct 23, 2013 03:05 AM

RAM Marina
I don't know why they aren't listed here. They are by far the most modern facility in the Rio Dulce. They an haul a catamaran up to 21' wide like ours at least. They are going to do a lot of work on our boat so we'll let you know how that goes. Karen, the manager at RAM, is one of the most helpful friendly people we've known. She's so busy running this largest marina on the river but still makes time to help with whatever she can. She speaks excellent English and will interface between the workers and the cruisers very well.
Iguana Dance

The Marina at TortugalRio Dulce, Guatemala

With its international community, friendly and artistic atmosphere and a restaurant offering great homemade food, Tortugal is definitely one of the best places to tie up for the hurricane season. Good services, walking distance to town and owners live on site.